Skills Needed to Become a Pediatric Nurse

Are you a interested in becoming a pediatric nurse? Pediatric nurses are unique, often highly specialized nurses, who work with children and teens of all ages
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What kind of skills does one need to become a pediatric nurse? This question is very broad in scope, because there is a wide range of skills needed to become a professional, pediatric nurse.

First, one should consider the personality of a potential pediatric nurse, before addressing his or her specific need for pediatric, nursing skill sets. Two criteria come to mind, as without these, a pediatric nurse is only a nurse with acquired nursing skills.   

Love of children:

Love of children is important for a potential pediatric nurse. Children, who know and understand the reality that pediatric nurses love them, tend to thrive when nursed and nurtured by them. This nursing criterion far exceeds that of merely looking after children or taking care of them as patients. It also means working closely with their parents and other family members, as well as being an advocate for them, at times.

Protective of children:

A true pediatric nurse is protective of children and realizes that every child needs protection, regardless of his or her health status. While at home, parents and other family members are able to protect their children. In a setting, like a hospital or a nursing home for children where they may be alone, protection is vital to their survival. 

Note that loving children and being protective of them are not acquired skills that one can learn. They are innate or instinctive, personality traits manifest by individual pediatric nurses, an extremely important aspect of being a true pediatric nurse.

Now look at the basic pediatric nursing skills that potential pediatric nurses learn over time.

Most colleges and universities offer professional nursing programs. Here essential clinical nursing skills, as well as pediatric nursing skills, are introduced and developed. The length of time it takes to acquire different kinds of nursing skills depends upon whether the potential pediatric nurse wants to be a licensed practical nurse (LPN), which takes approximately one year or to proceed to higher education in the realm of pediatrics.

Academic requirements vary from region to region.

A registered nurse (RN) requires three to four years of training. A Nurse Practitioner (NP) trains for a longer time. Both acquire degrees in nursing. They can seek advanced training with a higher level of skill sets in any area, including pediatrics. Some levels of nursing education specialize only in specific, more advanced pediatric nursing.

Examination and licensure are basic requirements on every level, prior to employment as a pediatric nurse.

PediatricNursing.com answers basic questions asked by anyone interested in becoming a pediatric nurse.

Note that it is always important to communicate with children on their level of development and thus, potential pediatric nurses need to acquire basic knowledge of child development, in conjunction with inter-personal relationship and communication skills.

Basic nursing care skills are essential for all nurses, including pediatric nurses, but because children vary in age, size and stature, there are specific nursing care skills that are needed depending upon the individual child. In other words, a young child needs different nursing care than an older child or a teenager and different skill sets are essential. 

Learning about pediatric medication, in conjunction with various pediatric medical procedures, treatment and equipment designed specifically for children is important. Counseling children as a trained pediatric nurse is another possibility.

Pediatric nursing can be fun, challenging and an exciting career for anyone who truly loves working with children of all ages, as well as teenagers and is by nature, protective of them. Learning skill sets on various levels of pediatric nursing requires a high level of professional commitment and dedication, but it is well worth the effort.